BUSINESS QUESTION – FLUORIDATION
– 14 January 2010

Dr Julian Lewis: Mine is a Western Southampton question, Mr. Speaker. Given that the Prime Minister himself said that the people of Southampton and Totton would decide whether their water should be fluoridated, and that both the Labour Southampton MPs, including a member of the Cabinet [Rt. Hon. John Denham], have said that it should not be fluoridated – for the time being at least – because of the 72 per cent. opposition to the proposal, may we have a statement from a Health Minister explaining why a health spokesman in the House of Lords said in a Written Answer on behalf of the Government:

“We continue to support South Central Strategic Health Authority's decision to fluoridate a large part of Southampton and parts of South-West Hampshire.” – [Official Report, House of Lords, 16 December 2009; Vol. 715, c. WA239.]?

[The Leader of the House of Commons (Ms Harriet Harman): If hon. Members want to make a point in business questions, that is obviously fine, but if they actually want an answer to a specific, detailed question, it is probably best to let me know what they are likely to ask, so that I can give them a better-informed answer than the one that I am about to give, which is that I will ask the Health Secretary to write to the hon. Gentleman.]